Your calls always answered within 5 rings.
The whole experience with DialAFlight was exceptional. Rebecca and Stuart from the beginning were so professional and helpful. Rebecca organised my travel efficiently and I was totally confident that all my travel arrangements were in place. On my return journey the flight was delayed due to bad weather so I missed my connection. As I was sitting in Amsterdam airport waiting to board a re-scheduled flight Stuart called to check that I was OK. Incredible service. I will always be using DialAFlight for future travel.
My flight was cancelled. Luggage left behind. You guys were excellent in listening and helping. Thank you.
Trevor and his team did an excellent job after Air France cancelled 2 of our flights then strikes caused another change
We have used DialAFlight for a few years now never had a problem - thank you so much
I was recommended to you and was really pleased with the aircraft, the cost, the spacious seats and staff. I will be booking again real soon.
Only hotel that did not meet expectations was Si No Como
Billy is so helpful - have recommended to many people. Always happy with our trips
Booked party of 10 to Mexico. Great work by Elliott. Got us a great price, prebooked all the seats and great communication. Highly recommended
My transit in Miami on the way back was a little tight. I ended up sprinting the length of Miami airport whilst last calls were being issued. Pleased to say I made it though. Other than that all flights were exactly as promised although there was a noticeable drop in standard on American Airlines compared to BA.
Fantastic service once again
Darren was excellent
Jane was able to transfer our flights so we could fit in my friend's wedding in Phoenix en route to Mexico. She also booked our seats on all 3 flights which made the whole journey so much better. She is a star!
Great service as always
Philippa was on point as usual, thanks
All went exceptionally smoothly and brilliant value for money
Justin went over and beyond to help.
I was kept up to date with everything I needed to know in good time
Bradley, as always, was brilliant.
Alfie at DialAFlight is great. Loved every holiday I have booked and they have all gone so smoothly.
Jack always looks after us well
Tony Judge was always on hand to support and answer questions. He made the booking of our honeymoon and the trip itself go super smoothly
An amazing holiday and Jake again delivered on every request. Would recommend to everyone
Great flights, great airlines and good value
Used you before, always been hassle free!
Kieran was excellent at arranging our trip
Timely updates from my appointed agent meant that I was kept aware of any changes to the bookings I had made. A courtesy call just prior to travelling was a nice touch. All in all 100% satisfied with the service.
Once again excellent, trouble free travel. There is little point in checking every website - one phone call to Eric and the job is done. Thanks again
Always excellent and thorough service.
As always, excellent service from Dominic and our holiday was superb.
It's very reassuring to know that if something goes wrong with my trip there's someone I can call to help sort it out.
On my first full day at the Anantara Layan hotel, I’m told that lunch will be cooked by...me!
Perhaps this is pay-back time from dinner the night before, when the chef presented me with something I can only describe as edible art.
I had been faced with amuse-bouches of olives hung on a miniature tree; a plump, pink disc of yellowfin tuna tartare; seabass smoked with Jack Daniel’s, revealed with a flourish from under an opaque glass dome.
It transpires that Anantara, on the northwest coast of Phuket, does things differently.
To immerse guests fully in the local culture, a cooking school called Spice Spoons is offered - and you get thrown in at the deep end.
It starts with an 8am visit to the food market in the small, dusty village of Talang, a ten-minute drive away, with the hotel’s chef. The market is a cavernous covered space full of stalls selling everything from fresh seafood on ice to buckets of coconut cream, and displays of garlic, ginger, green papaya, mint and more.
FRAGRANT FEAST
There are containers of home-made red, green and yellow curry pastes, fragrant Thai basil and weird fermented cabbages.
The cooking class takes place at the hotel’s Dee Plee Thai restaurant, which overlooks the rest of the sprawling resort (comprising 77 villas and suites).
On the menu today are shrimp tartlets, green chicken curry and mango with sticky rice. Before I know it, I’m mixing batter for tartlet cases, marinading mini-aubergines in coconut milk and curry paste, and simmering the sticky rice (the trick is to ensure there is just a finger’s width of water over the rice).
Phuket is roughly the same size as Singapore, with a population of 600,000. It is under two hours away from a truly exquisite archipelago that includes Phi Phi Leh (where The Beach was shot), Khai (home to nothing but a bar) and an island nicknamed ‘Bamboo’.
A boat trip that takes in all these is the perfect way to get a flavour of what draws so many visitors. We speed across the turquoise water, passing giant granite islands covered in greenery, stopping off at Phi Phi Don, the larger sister island to Leh.
Pausing to go snorkelling near a reef among swarms of colourful fish, we then pull in to Pileh Lagoon, a body of crystalline, emerald green water surrounded by more hulking stone outcrops of the kind you see on postcards.
That evening, the head chef does the cooking, thankfully. He serves up a delicious soft-shell crab curry, a local dish called Khao Soi - a tangle of spicy, crispy egg noodles served with chicken, onion and lime - and a light coconut sorbet. Somehow, Thai food just doesn’t taste like this back home.
KOH PHANGAN
For a different island experience we also visit Layan’s sister resort, Rasananda, on the much smaller island of Koh Phangan. Its population of around 8,000 doubles once a month as hordes of partygoers descend on Haad Rin beach, to the south, for the infamous full moon parties which started here in the Eighties.
Apart from those wild nights, though, it appeals mostly to families and couples, while Phuket draws a younger crowd. The Rasananda is bang on the beach, but has all the design touches of an elegant resort: an infinity pool featuring a swim-up bar, spa and 64 villas and suites, each with their own private plunge pool.
Mine has a carp pond outside, and all have a free mini-bar. Everything seems to move at a different pace: slowly. But there’s plenty to do such as snorkelling or kayaking around the Ang Thong National Marine Park, which contains more than 40 tiny islands. And you can also go elephant trekking, commune with local monks, or indulge in yoga every morning on the sun terrace.
Yes, there is a cooking school here, too. And yes, I could sign up to perfect my Pad Thai - but I demur. It’s time to let someone else do the hard work.
First published in the Mail Online - May 2017
More articles below...
Not quite what you're looking for?
We can easily customise an offer to suit your exact requirements